Undergraduate Blog

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volume 93, april 18 – 30, 2018                                                View this email in your browser

Student Life – Nine New Things That You Might Not Know

Are you a nervous, or non-swimmer? Lots of U of T students can’t swim, but Hart House can help you gain this important, lifelong skill with their spring and summer classes. Not quite ready to test those waters? Then push your boundaries in a different direction! Think about the qualities you admire in a leader. You have those qualities too and you can develop and grow them big time at the Re-imagine Leadership Retreat in June. Be brave and take the leap to leadership! Look for your next NNT edition in May as we go monthly until September!

Grads: Navigate family & school

April 18, Noon – 1 p.m. (Webinar)
Grad Conflict Resolution Centre
It’s not easy to manage competing family and academic responsibilities. Learn to communicate your family needs effectively to your supervisor and how to identify supports.

Race & Indigeneity student survey

Survey closes April 30
Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Share your experiences regarding race & indigeneity and get a chance to win a $100 gift card! Completing this KPE survey will also help their taskforce set priorities to serve you better!

HealthyU Tip: Attempt archery!

Registration now open
Hart House
Check out the Hart House spring & summer fitness classes! Ballet or Belly dancing? Latin moves or Learn-to-Swim? T’ai Chi Ch’uan, Tae Kwon Do or Judo? How can you resist?

Hart House happening: Silent Auction & Social Night

April 23, 7 – 9 p.m.
Hart House, East Common Room
Start your art collection by bidding on some stellar student artwork! It’s also a super opportunity to network with potential creative collaborators as you partake in free refreshments!

Re-imagine Leadership: Join us!

Apply now – limited spaces!
This June weekend retreat explores the many facets of leadership. Network with student leaders & investigate ideas to address topics that affect U of T students. Review the dates, then get your application in before the May 4th deadline!

Consider learning abroad!

April 23, 24, 27
CIE, Cumberland Room
Thinking about attending a university outside of your comfort zone? Maybe outside of your time zone? The Universities of Manchester, Singapore, & Hong Kong offer new adventures!

Find research funding opportunities

Month of April
Research & Innovation
Make research a fundamental part of your U of T experience. Check out this online, at-a-glance, source for searching current, research funding opportunities.

Intercultural Learning Program

April 27, 5 – 7:30 p.m.
CIE, Baldwin Room
Register for this introductory workshop to learn more about ILP. You’ll gain access to additional workshops & sessions to build solid, applicable intercultural skills for home & abroad.

IDEA competition!

May 18 deadline
AODA Office
Innovative Designs for Accessibility Competition (IDEA) gives you the chance to share your concepts, program ideas, or designs with an aim to address accessibility issues.

Psst! There are so many more cool things going on, but we can’t include them all. Check ‘em out and follow us on social media!

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Are you looking for a fun, engaging way to improve your academic English?

The English Language Learning (ELL) Program will offer a non-credit course, ELL011H1F, Intensive Academic English, from April 25 –  May 4, 2018. Focus on enhancing your English for scholarly reading, academic writing, oral presentations and more. Register on ACORN along with your Summer 2018 courses. The course is FREE except for incidental fees.  For more information, visit:

http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/advising/ell/ell011h1

or contact ELL:

ell.newcollege@utoronto.ca

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A summer school for undergraduate women in mathematics will take place at the Pacific Institute for Mathematical Sciences on UBC campus during Aug 7-17, 2018. The application deadline has been extended to April 16, 2018. Please encourage your students to apply.

More details about the program and application process may be found here:

https://www.pims.math.ca/scientific-event/180807-dm

http://www.pims.math.ca/scientific-event/180806-dmussir

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Represent brings together elected and appointed student leaders from all three U of T campuses for two days of skills-development, awareness-building, reflection, and networking. This year’s theme is “Growing Together” and is focused on how we can all work together to create an even more vibrant and inclusive U of T community.

The aim of the conference is for student leaders to feel inspired, empowered, and confident in your ability to make an impact in their community. Workshops and sessions will be catered to all student leaders, whether in a representative role or an executive, and range in topic from planning accessible events to managing finances to caring for one’s mental health.

When: Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29, 2018

Where: Hart House (St. George Campus)

Registration Fee: $25.00

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Reimagining Leadership Retreat hosted by Student Life on June 1-3 at Trent University in Peterborough.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this weekend retreat is to create a supportive community-based environment where students reflect upon their individuals capabilities, collaborate with a team of other student leaders and observe how they and their team fit into the wider community. At each level of leadership, students will be encouraged to think outside of the box, and create novel and innovative ideas to address real life topics that affect students and student leaders at U of T.

APPLICATION

This retreat is open to all students at the University of Toronto. We are currently accepting applications right now until May 4, 2018. Please note that space is very limited, please apply as soon as possible.

COMMUNICATION

To apply, students can check out our website or our facebook event page.

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Interested in jump-starting your German? Maybe you need to fulfill a language requirement in your program? Did you know that you can complete an entire year of German in an intensive and extremely fun summer course here at the U of T! Not only can you use the summer course to free up some space in your schedule for 2018-19, whatever your primary course of study is, knowing German opens up a whole new spectrum of opportunities for research and global networking. Did you know that more study-abroad students go to German-speaking countries than almost anywhere else?

Interested in an internship? Students taking German at the U of T can take advantage of the Department of German’s iPRAKTIKUM experiential learning and internship initiative. We’ll help you find a placement where you can apply what you’ve learned in the classroom in work-related scenarios. http://german.utoronto.ca/ipraktikum/

What are you waiting for?

Register and pay your fees for German 100 or German 200 by 30 April 2018.

Get started here to enroll:

http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/current/course/timetable/20185/index_html

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The Student Committee of the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS Studc) is looking for enthusiastic, hard-working students interested in joining the committee.

In particular, we are looking for a chair and general members, for two-year terms. Suitable bilingual applicants shall be given preference.

Joining Studc is an excellent opportunity to contribute to the Canadian mathematics community. More information about the committee’s activities can be found on our website and through social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). If you have any questions about the committee, its activities, or member responsibilities, please do not hesitate to contact Aram Dermenjian and Jean Lagacé (chair-studc@cms.math.ca), the current Studc chairs.

Applications to the committee are due by 15 April 2018.  All applicants must complete this form: https://goo.gl/forms/s9dyofxy56Fa91lQ2

Applicants to the position of chair must complete this form in addition to the previous form: https://goo.gl/forms/0guEAap1BA3nWuhz1.  Successful applicants will be notified by 30 April 2018.

E-mailed sent by:
Aram Dermenjian and Jean Lagacé (Chairs, CMS Studc)

Canadian Mathematical Society Student Committee (CMS Studc)

Website: CMS Studc

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March 26, 2018

Graduate School Application Roundtable Talk

NOTE

• These responses are the opinions of the participating panel.
• These notes from the Information Session, were captured Lilly, an undergraduate student.

Q: How long in advance should we start preparing for grad school applications?

Usually, you should submit applications in before the December deadline of the current year to apply for graduate school that starts September of the following year.

Q: What are the weights on GRE, reference letters, CGPA, personal statement in terms of admission?

• GRE
• Not required for Canadian schools (does not matter whether you have it or not)
• Required for US schools (depending on which school you are applying to. Some schools care more but some schools care less.)

• Reference letter
• Important

• CGPA
• The most important component
• Not only the grades matters, but also what courses you took
• There’s no cut-off grades, but better be grades for important math courses
• Only math courses will be looked at (doesn’t really matter if you fail a physics class)
• Usually they would look at the 10 most advanced math courses on your transcript and drop the lowest two

• Personal statement
• If you prepare a generic statement then it becomes the least important component
• Shouldn’t be more than 1 page unless there are stories that are very interesting
• Make sure there’s no spelling or other grammatical mistakes
• Becomes very relevant when there’s something special about your story (e.g. had 5 years gap during undergrad; already had a PHD in physics and now want to do another PHD in math, etc…)
• Very important if the school you are applying to allows the future supervisor to make the decision

Q: How useful would doing research be in terms of applying for grad school?

It is a plus, but not a necessary thing. Math is a very specialized discipline, so it is very rare to see undergrads doing serious research. But if you can win the USRA award, then definitely include it in your application.

Q: How does one find research opportunities in undergraduate?

Walk around the department, knock on doors, ask professors, “Do you have a summer project?” or “Could you supervise me in a reading course?” Usually it is comparatively difficult to become engaged in research opportunities in the Department of Mathematics. You should take the time to review the research interest of the professor that you would like to work with.  You may also have conversations with your professors after class, and talk about interesting questions related to the course material and introduce interesting topics that you would want to explore further.

Q: How useful would math competitions be in terms of applying for grad school?

Similar to research, it is a plus, but not a necessary thing. They are looking for your strengths, not a fulfilling a check list. It’s fine for not having research or competitions results.

Q: Is it encouraged to do PHD at another school?

It is recommended because by doing so you will be seeing other perspectives, learning more cultures etc. However, if you have a good personal reason to stay here (e.g. because your families are here etc.), it is also good to stay.

Q: Should we apply for master first or apply for Ph D directly?

• In US: apply for the Ph D directly
• In Canada: usually you should apply for masters first, and when you get admitted, you will also be admitted to the Ph D program automatically (conditional offer)

Some countries offer 3 years Ph D programs (e.g. some universities in UK), but there are also some countries that offer 1 year master + 5 years PHD programs.

• the longer may be the better
• when applying for post doc, what matters is not how long you’ve been studying math since elementary school, but how many years you have studied since PHD. So you may have some disadvantages by taking the “fast lane”

Q: About applying for grad school and stating a particular professor that you would like to work with?

Make sure that the prof you are aiming for is actually working there. Sometimes their names may be listed as faculty members, but they are not actually permanently employed at that institution.

Q: If I want to do grad school for applied math (e.g. finance or physics). During undergrad, should I take more applied courses or should I take more pure math courses?

For most applied programs, the process of admission could be very different comparing to math programs. For some applied programs, you may even need to contact your potential supervisor because quite often the decision is made by them.

Q: Are there any advantages for taking most advanced math course (e.g. MAT157, 257, 357)?

Specialists have many advantages comparing to math majors. In the reference letters details are usually provided about the content of the courses as it is here that the applicant’s university will learn of the strength of the applicant.

Q: Does a 4^th year statistic student still have chance to get into grad school for math?

What’s important is which courses you have taken. As long as you have all the necessary courses (algebra, analysis, topology), then it is possible.

Q: What are the necessary courses?

MAT327H1    Introduction to Topology

MAT347Y1    Groups, Rings and Fields

MAT354H1    Complex Analysis I

MAT357H1    Foundations of Real Analysis

MAT457H1    Advanced Real Analysis I

APM421H1    Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Q: How to explore interests?

• Take courses
• Talk to professors and students
• Be involved

It is actually harmful to decide too early, which field of mathematics you want to study. If you decide too early, you are sort of preventing yourself from exploring your true self.

Be ready to get rejection letters and do not be too offended when you get a few rejection letters.

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Western University invites the University of Toronto Department of Mathematics'
undergraduate students to participate in Western's second
Applied Mathematics Undergraduate conference hosted by the 
Applied Mathematics Department at Western. 

The event will be held for one day on Sunday, March 25, 2018 starting at
approximately 9:30 am (subject to change, see tentative schedule below)
until 6 pm, at Westerns Physics and Astronomy building. Lunch and
dinner will be provided, as well as snacks and coffee throughout the
day. The conference will include a poster session competition, student
talks, and a guest speaker. The aim is to provide students with the
experience of attending a conference to present their research to
professors and peers.

Students are asked to email an abstract of their research to westernusam@gmail.com, 
along with any additional information  for e.g. published material stemming from this
research work. Students may also indicate a preference for either an
oral or poster presentation.

Students who are interested in attending without presenting
are welcome!

All attendees are asked to e-mail in advance, and include in the e-mail information
on food allergies (if any).

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The Fondations Science Mathématiques de Paris invites you to complete a masters graduate program at this institution of learning.

Call for Application:          The Fondation Sciences Mathematiques de Paris – Program – A call for application for graduate studies

Program & Qualification Details:        The Fondation Sciences Mathematiques de Paris – Program Details

Note:

Even students who wish to pursue doctoral studies in North America could benefit immensely from a Master’s program in Paris.

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The laureates will receive financial, administrative, and academic support from the foundation.

The deadline of the application is Jan. 26, 2018.

• Graduate students in Paris benefit from an incredible research atmosphere.
• They are able to attend a wide variety of courses, seminars, and conferences and have the opportunity to interact with some of the world’s leading mathematicians.
• FSMP’s partner universities are home to many distinguished mathematicians including a number of fields medalists, numerous ICM speakers, etc.

You are invited to find out more by visiting their website https://www.sciencesmaths-paris.fr/en/masters-250.htm